At one time, it was common practice to produce brassieres by providing contoured cups, each of which was formed by two separate sections of material sewed together at a seam extending across the cup. The two joined sections were cut to produce an outwardly protruding fabric structure of the type generally conforming to the size of breast for which the brassiere was specifically sized. Advances in the brassiere art involved forming each cup by two separate contoured segments. These segments have a common seam to produce a desired contour for a given cup. By sewing these two cup-shaped segments together and basting their outer peripheries, a double layered support cup for a brassiere was produced. The inner layer was formed from a fabric selected for its comfort to the woman wearing the brassiere. The outer segment was decorative and was produced from a fabric which provided a pleasing outer appearance, such as lace. The two separate sections of each fabric segment were sewed together at the common contour producing seam. The edges of the two fabric segments were basted together to form a dual fabric cup structure. Contour producing seams were required when using a fabric which did not stretch substantially. The seam itself formed the general shape of the cup. Two of these cups were assembled onto the brassiere structure.
With the advent of various fabrics, including fabrics which could be stretched or molded into a breast receiving shape, many brassieres do not use the contour producing seam extending across the cup. Consequently, a more natural appearance as desired by certain women is obtained. However, this cup construction having no contour producing seam is not useful for cotton fabrics. Cotton of the type used for brassieres can not be molded and formed into a cup configuration without the contour producing seam.
Many women demand that their brassiere be produced from natural fiber, such as cotton. Indeed, some women desire cotton brassieres for less skin irritation. Pregnant women especially require or demand a brassiere having a cotton inner surface so that irritation to sensitive nipples is reduced. Consequently, many pre-natal brassieres are manufactured from cotton fabric, especially cotton on the surface of the cup which engages the breast.
When cotton brassieres are manufactured, they require the contour producing seam as previously discussed. In the past, this seam has caused a protrusion on the internal surface of the brassiere. This protrusion extended across the nipple portion of the brassiere and negated some advantages of using cotton fabric. For that reason, cotton pre-natal brassieres having contour producing central seams still produced a certain amount of nipple irritation, even though the cotton forming the inner surface reduces the tendency for irritation.